The Parque Cabo de Gata is a natural reserve with small fishing villages, unspoilt beaches and dramatic scenery. There are many remote beaches and coves to explore. San Jos is a delightfully small fishing village in the centre of the Cabo de Gata with two harbours, one for fishing and the other for pleasure craft. Located in the Parque Natural it is a unique village with no high-rise developments. Formed around a shallow bay San Jos has one of the finest beaches on the Cabo de Gata. For a more unusual beach, the Playa del Mnsul only 2.5 kilometres away is well worth a visit, with its fine grey sand and oddly shaped volcanic rock formations. Scuba diving is very popular in the area with some of the cleanest water in the Mediterranean. It is classed by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, and has been protected since 1987. It covers 71,500 acres and stretches east from Retamar, to the east of Almeria, across the cape to the Barranco del Honda, just north of Agua Amarga another popular spot for tourism.